The Declaration
by Doc Ling Beng
Summary: AU. High school fic. A confession in the cafeteria was made. Neji cracks; Tenten fesses up. An elaborate plan was set in motion, thanks to Naruto. Chapter 2 passed!
1. Chapter 1

AU. High school fic. A suitor for Tenten and a bet between Sakura and Ino. And wait! Did that suitor just insulted Neji?! [NejiTen]

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns _Naruto_.

* * *

**THE DECLARATION**

**Monday: Mouse?!  
**

_10-7-2002. Monday, 11.24 pm_

Dear Hershey,

My teacher in Literature recommended for our class to keep a journal in order to get in touch with our 'inner self'. Understanding the 'inner self', according to Sarutobi Kurenai, is a way to comprehend a fictional character's motives, words and actions. sigh I guess I have to keep this really private and away from public view. Thank goodness I have a careful dormmate and friend named Haruno Sakura.

Sakura is a year below me. She is a junior and she has the most amazing hair ever. When she was in her first year, her hair used to be black. It was also long and reached down to curl against the middle of her back. But she cut it and styled to flutter against her face, in a shaggy do. She even had it colored pink! I wonder where she had it done. It's really fascinating. Thank goodness this is a liberal school. Well, almost liberal, since it is now headed by Tsunade-sama, granddaughter of the first principal of Konoha High. Although strict with rules, she allows things such as hair color and gel, as long as proper hygiene is followed and the uniform is worn properly. Anyway, Sakura's hair suits her green eyes and fair skin. It makes her stand out. I envy her sometimes, especially her courage to shout to the world her feelings. She has this most serious crush with Uchiha Sasuke, a rebel prodigy. Even my fellow batchmates know Sasuke, who is so cute (Yes, I had a fleeting crush on him but Sakura can have him, haha!). When Sakura was in her freshman year, she used to chase Sasuke around. She also competed against Yamanaka Ino for presidency in their FC for Sasuke. But then, sophomore year happened to Sakura. Due to his father's alleged favoritism, Sasuke joined a gang headed by a drug lord syndicate named Orochimaru on July 2001. Sakura tried to hold Sasuke back, but to no avail.

Sasuke came back to high school, though, after he was caught in January by his elder brother, Itachi, who is in the military. After a stint in rehab, Sasuke is now under probationary status and currently repeating his sophomore subjects. Surprisingly, Sakura does not help him. I got most worried over her a week ago. Since Sasuke came back, she is quieter than ever. Her silence over the matter broke the record when she was depressed over Sasuke's defection to cocaine and heroin. I brought Ino over last Wednesday after I talked to her about Sakura. Ino's Operation Annoyance worked well. After an hour of Ino talking to herself about how she would be able to have Sasuke at last, Sakura shouted, "Pig!" She jumped Ino and started a bitch fight complete with the hair-pulling, pinching, etc. I busied myself with catching any object that threatened to fall over when they bumped into the table, beds and cabinet.

The fight was over in ten minutes. Sakura just stopped pulling Ino's hair and she broke down, crying. She hugged Ino and the latter hugged back as they lie down on the floor winded, their clothes rumpled and hair in disarray. I took the reserve tissues from the cabinet and brought them over on the floor beside the embracing friends. I snatched a few pieces of tissue and snuffled to myself as I stroked Sakura's hair. The occupants from other rooms started to knock and ask what happened. We ignored them. When Hinata called, I told her all that happened. She came over with a bunch of cookies and Sakura's favorite carrot cake. Now, Sakura is smiling again and I'm just so glad that she's her normal self. She does not flinch now whenever Sasuke is mentioned. It seems that it is only Naruto who is acting normally with Sasuke. I and the rest of the old gang, the senior members of the judo club, are wary of Sasuke. We greet him now and then and try to talk to him but he never speaks up. That's to be expected, I guess. He never was a talker even in his freshman days. Neji, my best friend and sparring partner in the club, is also cagey of Sasuke but he says that he trusts Naruto to pull Sasuke out of his self-imposed shell.

Speaking of Neji, he is really annoying today. Why? Well, there is this guy who just went up to the Section 1 line and stood in front of me. He told me that I look like a mouse. The nerve! I'm shaking while I'm writing this; I ignored him and prayed that he go away. But this guy had the GALL to touch my shoulder. Who is he to touch me so familiarly?

I took his hand away and let it go so fast I might as well threw trash. I looked at the guy straight to the eyes and raised my chin. He returned my rebuff with a toothbrush commercial smile. I turned my back on him. I tensed myself, ready to react if he touches me again. Thank goodness, he took off.

You know what Neji did?

Not…a…thing. When I turned to glare at him, he was staring at the ground with his eyebrows almost meeting. I'm not sure whether or not he's annoyed with the guy or anything. He just looked up and said, "Let's go up to the classroom instead of going to the flag ceremony."

Jerk! If it were not for the chance that the guy would come back and bug me, I would definitely have refused and waved him on. I would stay on the line with our other classmates and wait for Lee, who we only see on the flag ceremonies and retreats, including lunch breaks.

Neji's my best friend and all, but he does not even extend his hand to help me with someone who was seriously bothering me. He could have pulled that Hyuuga 'icy' stare of his from his violet blinkers and reduced that man to a stuttering blob. Does he even care for my feelings, which has been hurt by that guy who dared to call me a mouse? A mouse, for crying out loud!

Mad and bothered,

Twenty Hundred

* * *

**  
Tuesday: A Challenge is Made**

_  
Tuesday. 5.03 pm, Dorm Room 5._

sakura_blossoms: INO!!! damn it, ino! wud u pls apir now in my mesenger!

inoflowergirl1997: wat, 4head? i'm here now.

sakura_blossoms: ino, red alert!

inoflowergirl1997: wat! luv is in d air? did u get 2gedr w/ sasu so quik? :D

sakura_blossoms: no, pig. ten's the news.

inoflowergirl1997: wat abt r tenie?

sakura_blossoms: do u know yuhi, a senior boy fr sec 3?

inoflowergirl1997: i know yuhi-sempai. he's nice throws great parties. has black wavy hair and a dimple on his left cheek. brown-eyed. a lot like naruto. mischevous, funny. he's such a cutie!

sakura_blossoms: yeah, that's the one

inoflowergirl1997: who? oh, wait. he had a girlfriend named yukari, a sophomore cheerleader. why r u aksing anyway?

sakura_blossoms: i think he's intrstd with r tenie. wen we went out of our dorm dis morn, we met yuhi on d way. he called tenie minnie mouse & laughed wen tenie just ignored him, not saying anything. said he's yuhi fr sec 3. tenie did not react. but wen he tried to touch tenie on the arm, tenie, hahaha! she kicked out and made yuhi-sempai stumble until he was all on fours staring at the asphalt. hahahaha!

inoflowergirl1997: wat, tenie! oh, d girl nids some spanking sumtyms! how cud she? she cud hav gotten herself a boyfrend now. oh, little tenie and i will hav a talk. wer is she, btw?

sakura_blossoms: out. supervising d tryouts 4 d archery club. she's not activ anymor but keeps in touch.

inoflowergirl1997: i thought she's still in our judo club?

sakura_blossoms: ino, u nid memory pills. yes, but she's a _de facto_ member.

inoflowergirl1997: wat? cam again? you and your big words.

sakura_blossoms: she's a member in name only. our tenie's reserved for some fights, esp. wen neji nids a partner. besides, she's also afiliated with the arch club.

oh, b4 i forget, i want neji for tenten, not yuhi-sempai.

inoflowergirl1997: r u starting a fight, forehead?

sakura_blossoms: no, I'm just stating a fact.

inoflowergirl1997: NO. i want yuhi for tennie. she deserves better than iceberg neji. and you know, the iceberg sank the titanic. Besides yuhi-sempai is so much more fun. look at d perks: we get mor invitations to great parties, wer evrybody who's sumbody in our school wud come. wudn't that be fun.

sakura_blossoms: but dey look so gud 2gether. sins elementary, they hav bn frends! neji and tenten! it's practicaly canon!

inoflowergirl1997: we don't know for sure. u know neji. he might not hav feelings for our ten.

sakura_blossoms: he has. he must!

inoflowergirl1997: he's so not!

sakura_blossoms: pig, stop fighting! i know i'm right.

inoflowergirl1997: r u chalenging me, 4hed?!

sakura_blossoms: hey, why not?

inoflowergirl1997: bring it on!

sakura_blossoms: ok. if neji wud not react to yuhi-sempai's pseudo-courtship, and tenten becomes friends or _boyfrend_ with yuhi, you win. but if it's d other way around…u know what happens! hahahaha! i can smel vic2ry already. i want d earrings youv bought last sat.

inoflowergirl1997: u know, 4head, wen i win, i want ur purple designer heels, ok. b sur 2 gift wrap it, ha?

sakura_blossoms: you're on!

The door burst open. Sakura continued typing 'you're on'. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, with the red laptop on her blanket-covered calves.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura started. She immediately closed her laptop. "Hey, Ten-chan, how's the tryouts?"

"Fine. There are no potential champions, but they'll do. They can be trained anyway. Maybe we can still win the contests if they are dedicated enough." Tenten put away her bow and took off her training kimono for archery. She took her shampoo and other bath paraphernalia from the cabinet and wrapped her bathing robe around her body. Sakura covered the laptop with one of her pillows.

Tenten sat on her own bed and untied her buns. She took a brush to the chocolate tresses that reach down to her lower back. "What were you watching?" Bending her head to the right, Tenten smiled as she continued to brush. "Is it _Original Sin_ again? The one by Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie? Were you, by any chance, re-watching the bed scenes like Ino did?"

"Hehehe." Sakura blushed and bit her lip. She inched her pillow to cover the laptop more securely.

Tenten laughed. "Oh, that movie brings nice, surprising memories. Who would have thought that Shikamaru owns a DVD copy of that movie? Ino filched it, right?" At Sakura's nod, Tenten chuckled and looked up to the ceiling and extended her legs. "Hinata kept blushing for days whenever the S-word and the movie were mentioned. Thank goodness I managed to distract Neji when I said that I watched _Original Sin_ before he managed to quiz Hinata about her red face! The expression on his face was priceless! It seems that Neji viewed the movie too, but on a dare. Lee said that Shikamaru invited the males in our gang to check out something in his house." Tenten shuddered. "Thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Nara were out for the night."

Tenten stood up and went out of the room, carrying her little basket of bath things.

Sakura exhaled a long sigh and took out her laptop again. _If Tenten had found what she Ino were chatting about…_

Sakura gulped. Tenten might chase her and Ino and make use of them as targets for her bows.

_  
7.45 pm_

THIS NOTEBOOK IS A PROPERTY OF ROCK LEE

I was on my tenth lap on the track and field this afternoon. A classmate of mine was waiting by the finish line. He is Kobayashi Yuuhi, a senior (like me) from section 3. He politely asked if he could have a favor from me. I said yes and did the nice guy pose, which Gai-sensei taught me. Yuuhi smiled and said that he likes Tenten, my friend, and wonders if I could help him in his campaign to get close to her. I agreed! Yosh! The flames of youth are burning brightly! Tenten, my flower friend, you would finally have a courtship! I would not stand by and see you turn off this one. It is our senior year and you must have a romance, for high school is lacking without one! Gai-sensei, my PE teacher, and so far, my favorite, would be glad to hear of this.

* * *

**  
Wednesday: The Cat and the Eagle (The Sparrow and the Sea)  
**

_  
11.13 am, Room 416. Section 4-3._

A note was written on the blackboard:

I am on a faculty meeting today. Be good and open your Economics books on Chapter 5, which is entitled Scarcity. Be sure to answer the comprehension questions by the end of the chapter on a piece of yellow paper. Pass your answers to the class president.

- Mr. Hatake Kakashi

"Lee, can we talk now?"

"Wait, one more sentence. Not good to have unequal…hmmm."

"I'll wait for you at the back vacant arm chairs."

Nodding, Lee inked the last period on his answer. He wrote back-to-back of the paper and finished on the fifth to the last line of the back page. After penning his name with a flourish, he stood up and passed his paper to the class president. He strode to the back of the room, where Yuuhi was sitting laidback on an armchair with his black-slacked legs and leather-shod feet on another chair, with his arms were lying together on his chest.

As Lee sat down beside him, Yuuhi recited sotto voce, "You said she likes violets and orchids. Brown and purple are her favorite colors. Chocolate of choice is dark chocolate and she has a weakness for Hershey's Special Dark. What does she like in a guy?"

Lee stroked his chin and sighed. "Frankly, I don't know. She's friends with me and Neji, together with a host of other guys of different temperaments and personalities. She does not show a specific—ah!" With a wide grin that almost occupied half of his face, Lee added, "She likes cute guys!"

A few of their classmates looked in their direction. "Shhh, Lee. A little more quiet, please."

"Cute, huh? What kind of cute? Humorous cute—"

"Appearance cute."

"Give me an example."

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Ah. So she likes a bad guy, huh?"

"Oh no, I don't think so. A straight-laced guy, maybe. Tenten has a healthy dose of respect for authorities."

One minute of quiet between the conspirators passed. Their classmates are almost done with the seatwork, with some already stretching their arms over their heads. The noise level increased a bit, as papers and pens were put away with the mouths starting to open up and talk.

"What's between her and Hyuuga Neji?"

"Best friends since elementary days. We were quite a group, then. Neji used to dislike my loud, exuberant displays but he grew to tolerate it. Tenten adapted to me more quickly, as she can be a bit loose with herself sometimes. Although she can be uptight too. She's a happy balance with me and Neji."

The bell rang for lunch.

Yuuhi let his legs down and sat up straight. He angled his head closer to Lee's and whispered, "Ok, here's a plan…"

_  
11.45 am, lunch break_.

Tenten drank the last of her orange juice. She, Neji and Lee are on their usual table in the cafeteria, near the wide windows. Neji is being his usual stoic self while Lee is talking a mile a minute. Tenten tried to keep up with Lee's stories about the frog he almost stepped on while running on the oval when _the_ guy just showed up beside Lee.

"Hi, Lee! Can I sit beside you?" Tenten closed her eyes and prayed that Lee say no.

"Yes. Come sit beside me."

Tenten tsked and opened her eyes. Lee moved to the chair in front of Neji. The guy whom Tenten thought of as Yuuta sat beside Lee.

"Hi, mouse. How's class?" Again with the toothbrush smile. He reached for something in his bag and put a Hershey's Special Dark on the table. "For you." Another smile appeared on his face, which put into Tenten's mind Mr. Maito Gai, her hyperactive PE teacher. Her lips twitched.

Neji shifted on his seat.

"Um, I forgot to introduce—Tenten, Neji, this is Kobayashi Yuuhi. He's my classmate."

"Hn."

Tenten glanced toward Neji. His arms are now crossed in front of his chest and he was checking out Yuuta, er, Yuuhi. He was frowning.

Tenten glanced toward the ceiling and tensed. She can feel the start of a headache coming in her temples. Neji's mood is getting darker. He is quieter since the start of the week and he barely speaks of what's bothering him. She's a bit miffed on him still, but now she's getting worried. What could have happened? This mood is reminiscent of their elementary days, when Neji held a grudge against his uncle, Hiashi, for putting away the possessions of Neji's father in the attic, and forbidding his twin brother's name to be mentioned in the house.

The problem between the two brothers is that Hiashi-san is the favored son; this made their parents decide that the most of Hyuuga monies and properties would be turned over to Hiashi-san. This caused Hizashi-san to be resentful, which was passed on to his own son, Neji.

The problem between Neji and Hiashi-san was further heightened when the latter explained his guilt of not resolving the inheritance matters before Hizashi-san died in an accident after their fateful argument. Tenten winced at that word—fate. It used to be Neji's favorite word, claiming that people would not be able to run away from their fate. Neji used to say that his fate would always be below priority, apart from his cousins'. That continued until Naruto whipped that belief out on him when the former said that people can fight against their fate, just like what Neji is doing, proving to others that he could also be great in his own way, perhaps even greater than his own uncle.

Tenten knows that Neji has forgiven his uncle to a degree but she thinks that he still blames Hiashi-san for not settling the old argument before Hizashi-san died. This may also be the reason why Neji does not like going to the Hyuuga compound in the rural part of Konoha. He once mentioned feeling like a caged bird there, unrecognized by his grandparents who do not acknowledge him. Tenten sighed. Maybe they're just guilty because whenever they look at Neji, they would see Hizashi-san.

"Mouse, is there any problem? You've been frowning and sighing just now."

That annoying voice floated Tenten back to consciousness. She fussed with her fork, making it stand up then lie back down on the wooden table.

"Here's chocolate. Maybe it would sweeten you up."

Tenten looked at him and frowned. She would have liked to throw the chocolate back at him but that wouldn't be nice. After all, he spent money to buy it and it would be bad manners and wasteful to simply throw the chocolate away.

"Please, Tenten. Take the chocolate." Lee wheedled and shook the girl's left arm a little.

"Fine." Tenten took the chocolate with her right hand and gave it to Lee. She would have liked to eat it, but she doesn't like the one who offered it. "Take it." She turned her sight back to Yuuhi who was looking at Neji. "Thank you for the chocolate."

"It's all right, sweetheart." Yuuhi patted her left hand.

At the touch, her hand automatically whipped back. It bumped against Neji's right shoulder. Neji touched Tenten's wrist and clasped it. "Don't touch her." He said matter-of-factly, with his eyes dark violet.

This is bad, Tenten thought. The headache that threatened earlier came now and slowly throbbed in her temples. Neji is getting angry.

"He speaks! The long-haired gal—no, guy is talking to me!"

Lee's eyes went wide.

Tenten stared at Yuuhi with her mouth slightly open.

Neji moved as if he was about to stand.

"Stop bothering Neji, Kobayashi." Tenten picked up her shoulder bag under the table and stood. "Let's get back to the classroom, Neji."

Neji nodded and let go of her wrist. He took his knapsack from the back of his seat and put it on his shoulders, looking at Yuuhi all the while. Yuuhi was staring back, leaning forward on his seat.

Tenten waved to Lee and took Neji's wrist. They went out of the cafeteria without looking back.

"I forgot to tell you that Tenten could be a bit protective of her friends. And that Neji is a bit sensitive about his hair."

"Why didn't you tell that earlier?"

"I didn't know you would needle Neji." Lee stood up. "If you want to get on Tenten's good side, try being nice to her instead of teasing her and being aggressive with Neji."

The bell rang.

_  
4.10 pm, Dorm Room 5._

Tenten has just gotten back from her classes an hour ago. She is now finishing a mound of assignments. Books and notebooks are piled in neat order on her either side. Sakura was lounging on the floor with her own books and notebooks.

A cellphone vibrated in Tenten's bag. It shook the table a little.

"Hello. Oh, Hinata! Hi, it's been a while. Huh? But I'm, uh—bit busy. Sakura? She's busy too."

Sakura looked up from her chem book. "What is it, Ten-chan?"

Tenten passed the cellphone to Sakura. "Hinata wants a sleepover at her house."

"But it's Wednesday and we—" Sakura pressed the phone to her ear. "What? The pig is whining for a sleepover?" Rolling her eyes, Sakura passed the phone back to Tenten and reached for her own cellphone. She texted Ino. _Wat's d prob?_

"Sakura, do you want to go?" Sakura looked up to Tenten who has her hand on the mouthpiece of her phone.

"A little. We haven't seen Hina for some time since class began." When her phone sounded its distinctive message alert tone, Sakura opened her inbox. _No prob. Just want to get 2gedr_.

"Ok, Hinata. Sakura and I are going to come over." Tenten smiled as she started to close her books and cap her pens with her phone between the side of her face and left shoulder. "Tell Ino to pack up her own assignments too so that we can all finish there before we spend the whole night—wait. Is your father all right with this? He's out of town? That's great, then. Ok, see you. We'll be there in—" Tenten checked her watch. "Thirty minutes."

"You're going to have us picked up? Even better. Thanks! Ok, ok. Bye-bye. Mwah."

_  
5.30 pm. Hyuuga House_.

The chauffeur drove the car into the Hyuuga mansion and stopped in the cavernous garage. There were three cars and two vans there, all sparkling and looking brand-new. Tenten let Ino and Sakura's chatter breeze by her as they went up to the house. The two quieted down a little as they entered a carpeted hall. The hall led into a showplace of a living room, with wooden furniture that looks like works of art beheld their eyes. They climbed up long stairs and were welcomed by a beaming Hinata on the landing.

Hinata's bedchamber has three parts: a sitting room, the bedroom and a bathroom. The three visitors plopped down the foamy royal blue sofas and brought out their books and stuff, working on their assignments. Tenten worked on hers as quickly as she can; she wanted to see Neji and talk to him. They have not been able to talk about what happened at lunch.

"Hinata, I'm going to look for Neji to ask something."

"I don't think you would be able to talk to Neji nii-san today, Tenten-chan. He was brooding about something and has a faraway look in his eyes when he picked me up from class today." Hinata continued on writing something on one of her notebooks.

Not a very good sign. "I really need to talk to him so just text me when you're all done." Standing up, Tenten took her sandals out of a paper bag and took off her socks.

"Why do you need to talk to him, Ten-chan?" Ino asked.

"Tell you later."

* * *

"Thought you'd be here."

Neji looked at the girl who opened the door. Her hair was not in its usual buns but in a ponytail. Tenten was smiling at him. This made him feel light on the inside, just on the sight of her. "Why did you come here? Did you want to see me?"

Tenten chuckled. "Ino wheedled a sleepover."

Neji raised his left eyebrow. "On a Wednesday?"

"Why not?" Her smile growing wider, Tenten moved farther into the attic, long room filled of old cabinets, clothes and a hodgepodge of things of sentimental value that the family could not throw away. "Thank goodness that these things are dusted, else I would be sneezing all the while."

Neji waved his hand towards himself. "Come here and sit beside me."

Tenten walked lightly to the sofa, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She sat near Neji and looked out of the scenery outside the large window, which overlooks the houses in the subdivision where the Hyuuga House is located. From this window, one can see the sun on its way down to its resting place. The sky is filled with shades of yellow and oranges. From this, Tenten can empathize how Neji is relaxed by such views.

"Neji, what's wrong?"

"That Kobayashi guy is something, huh?"

Tenten laughed. "How you surprise me. I thought I have to pull the info of what's bothering but—here you are, opening up at my first question." Tenten put her hand on Neji's wrist. "Yes, that guy is something so annoying."

Neji looked at Tenten's face and let out a deep sigh. A smile curved his lips slightly.

"He called me a mouse, damn him." Tenten leaned back against the sofa and looked up to the ceiling. She then looked back at Neji. "Do you think I'm a mouse?"

Neji settled on his side to look and moved closer to Tenten until their jeans touched each other. "If I have to think about an animal to describe you, I would not pick a mouse. A cat is more like you."

Tenten sat up and moved her left leg up to the sofa. "Why a cat?"

"A cat is graceful and lands on its feet even from a far fall. You're like that. You never let anything get you down. You always land on your feet. You…" Neji hesitated, a bit surprised at himself at his upfront answer. He bit back the next description he was about to add. _You're also like a sparrow, always singing soothing notes._

"You—yes?" Tenten waited for Neji to continue. She felt as if Neji was about to tell her something very important. But Neji looked away from her and fixed his eyes on something in front of him. She sighed and looked at the fall of his hair against his shoulder. His hair was so shiny and soft that she itched to stroke her hands on it. Neji's hair looks as if it would be silky to the touch.

"Neji."

Neji looked back at Tenten.

"I see you as an eagle soaring above the sky with clear and sharp eyes. A bird of prey, strong and sure of itself." _You are like the sea at night, too, with depths I would like to explore. With depths I would be happy to drown in._

Neither of them could speak at all, unaware that their hearts are beating a tattoo in their chests.

Tenten's phone vibrated on her pocket. She took it out.

_Wer finishd! Party tym!_ The message from Ino said.

Tenten stifled a groan at Ino's timing.

* * *

"WHAT! He called Neji 'long-haired gal'?" Ino's mouth was hanging open.

"Oho, he's jealous of Neji, I think." Sakura laughed. "He's feeling threatened by Neji and so, he retaliated." Sakura looked sideways at Ino. "Point one for me, Ino."

"So that's why Neji nii-san is so broody today." Nodding, Hinata nibbled at her cookie.

Ino ignored Sakura. "So Tenten, how do you feel about Yuuhi-sempai?"

"Annoyed. He's like an insect I'd like to step on."

Ino's lips fell open for the second time. She groaned in her mind. She has a feeling that she would lose her amethyst drops by the end of the week.

* * *

Do you think that the conversation between Neji and Tenten by the end part is cheesy? Please read and review! Thank you!

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Instead of following the Japanese six-year secondary education system, I made high school in this story to span only four years and moved the legal driving age to sixteen instead of eighteen.

By the way, I gave Tenten a surname in this fan fic and named her 'Higurashi Tenten'. This is only fan-made and I do not mean to say that it is really her surname or some such. Why Higurashi? :-) Well, I remembered  
Higurashi Kagome from "Inuyasha" and thought that the latter's surname would be appropriate for Tenten since I wrote that she is part of an archery club in the first part of the story.

Thank you very much for those who reviewed "The Declaration", namely, HyUuGaBoY'sLuver, DaKemz and 10TeNjI10. Thank you also to those who have read and liked this fan fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" but I am making use of its characters for this fan fic.

* * *

**Thursday, Part I: An Applicant for Tenten's Heart**

_5.32 am, Yuuhi's room_.

Yuuhi looked at his face in front of the mirror. He saw a boy with damp hair parted on the side, a dimple on his left cheek. He pointed his forefinger and thumb to the mirror while the rest of his fingers pointed back to himself. He shot and winked at his own image. "Tenten, prepare to be besieged."

Taking a comb again to his hair, Yuuhi tried a variety of styles. "All's fair in love—as long as one party is not married yet." He put the comb down, put his hands on his waist and glared at the boy in the mirror. In his mind, he remembered the way a certain long-haired gal looked at him with those rare eyes of his. The gal's eyes never left Yuuhi for a second, as if he's a little boy that needs watching and scolding the minute he made a mistake. _Hmp!_ _I never thought I'd hate violet._

"Hyuuga, you're very much of a fool. A cocky, complacent fool."

///// \\\\\

_5.40 am, Hinata's bedroom_.

"Oh…" Tenten shifted to the right, unconsciously seeking more space to get away from an elbow on the small of her back. She did not know that the space she moved into was empty air. "Aw!"

Jarred from her sleep, Tenten rubbed the side of her face which fell first onto the carpet. As she budged into a supine position on the blue-carpeted floor, Tenten opened her eyes and saw that there is sunlight on the ceiling. _Sunlight? Oh, my gosh!_ Opening the heavy purple brocade curtains on a window by the bed, Tenten squinted when light burst into the room. She winced and looked back to the canopied bed. Sakura is hard to wake up in the best of times but Ino is the worst. Hinata— "Why did I not think of this last night and set up an alarm clock?" Running to the bed, Tenten almost stumbled when she stepped on a can. She sighed in relief when she saw that it was a soda brand.

Thinking back on what happened last night, Tenten realized that she slept at around midnight while the rest were in the sitting room, watching a romantic comedy. Cursing under her breath, the frazzled girl pulled up the comforter and let it fall on the bottom side of the bed. She also turned on the radio to high volume and slapped on the light switches. Then, she shook three sets of shoulders none too gently.

A knock sounded on the door of the bedroom. "Hinata-sama? It is ten minutes to six. Are you dressed yet? Hanabi-sama said to tell you that she would be going to school early today because of a project. Young miss, the uniforms of your guests are here, already ironed—"

Tenten opened to the door to a surprised maid. "Please wake the others. Thank you!" Bounding to the sitting room then to the hall in her bare feet, Tenten did not acknowledge the wide eyes of the onlooker. She flew down the long stairs and moved full speed ahead from the living room, Hiashi-san's study, the library, music room then to the formal and informal dining rooms, another hall and at last, the kitchen.

The smell of something fried filled the yellow room. The cook was stirring something on the stove and ignored Tenten's arrival in his domain. Neji was already in his uniform and was sitting by one end of the long table, calmly drinking his cup of tea, with remnants of a meal in front of him. He did not react to the sight of Tenten in her teddy-bear pajamas with her hair unbound and tousled. Tenten gasped for breath, her right hand against a corner of the wooden table.

"Why did you not wake me up?" When Neji opened his mouth, Tenten pointed up in the air her forefinger. "And no, I don't want to hear 'I told you so'." Straightening up, Tenten glared at a stoic Neji who was watching her evenly as if waiting for something. He raised his cup clasped in both hands and sipped, looking at her over the rim. Tenten gnashed her teeth and bristled. He always has to look so CCC—cool, calm and collected—even in the mornings.

A man in a gray valet uniform entered the kitchen from the hall and said in a well-modulated tone, "Tenten-sama, please sit down and let me serve you."

Tenten turned to the voice and smiled at a man around fifty years of age who used to be Hizashi-san's valet, and now, Neji's. "Totoro-san, _please_ just call me Tenten." Totoro-san's family has been Hyuuga servants for more years than she cared to count. Ever since Neji started bringing her to the House when they were in their elementary days, Totoro-san had taken to calling her with a –sama.

The valet smiled thinly at Tenten's mild rebuke, his eyes crinkling in the corners. He stood erect, his hands clasped on flat stomach. Tenten then hurried to a door and went inside a tiled room where she washed her face without looking in the mirror. She figured she has been punished enough for agreeing to the excursion yesterday.

///// \\\\\

_11.38 am, Cafeteria._

Tenten shook her bag for the third time and searched it again. She could not find her wallet anywhere and her stomach is grumbling for a refill. Spying a black blob of cloth, Tenten pounced on her coin purse where she keeps her extra change. "Oh no."

"What?"

"I think I left my wallet in one of my bags in Hinata's room and my money here is not enough to buy me lunch."

"So what? I'm going to buy."

Tenten looked up and smiled at Neji who was leaning against their table and looking at some of the notebooks she took from her bag in her futile search for her wallet. "We'd better line up then if we want to finish our meals on time." Tenten started to stack her notebooks in her bag. "I'll follow as soon as I finish this."

"You don't have to. I can carry the tray." Neji raised one of his eyebrows. "Rice and buttered vegetables?"

Tenten nodded and grinned up at Neji who smiled back a little, his lips on a slight curve. "Double thanks, Neji."

A few minutes later, Lee came huffing to their table. "Hiya, Tenten!" Lee sat down and opened his bag, taking out a plastic with some sandwiches. "Hey, where's Neji?"

Tenten bent her back and reached down to the space underneath the table to put down her bag. "Buying lunch for the both of us."

"Miss Higurashi?"

Tenten stiffened. She straightened up on her seat and looked to her right. She was greeted by the sight of a smiling Yuuhi who had his left hand hidden behind his back. The people in the cafeteria started murmuring and pointing at them.

"What?" Tenten leaned her elbows on the table and tapped her foot against the floor. Neji was still in the line, three persons away from being served by one of the attendants.

Yuuhi sighed. "Miss Higurashi, is that the right way to treat an applicant for your heart?"

Tenten goggled, her hands falling from her cheeks and landing with a slap against the table. "An applicant for what?"

Straightening his posture with a snap of his shoes hitting the floor, Yuuhi passed Tenten a typewritten sheet and a small bouquet of violets and yellow orchids wrapped in clear cellophane. Tenten stared at the offering and put down the flowers. Curious, she read the paper. As she scanned the contents, she realized that she was looking at Yuuhi's resume and character references.

"I am Kobayashi Yuuhi, applying to be your boyfriend, Miss Higurashi Tenten. As you can see from my resume, I was once a player of the basketball team in my freshman year but I got involved in skateboarding so I dropped basketball and—"

Some of what Yuuhi was saying failed to get to Tenten who was gazing at one of Yuuhi's references. _Mr. Maito Gai, huh?_

"—but my GPA is a little above average. So, Miss Higurashi, am I accepted for the position?"

Tenten looked up at the question. She did not answer immediately for her eyes were caught by a Neji glowering over his shoulder. He was standing still at the beginning of the line, with one of the attendants speaking to him with an irritated look in her face. Lee, on the other hand, stopped eating his sandwiches and was beaming. He looked ready to stand up and jump for joy. The pieces finally settled into place in her mind. _That explains the chocolate and the choice of flowers for me. Lee is Yuuhi's classmate after all._

"No."

Yuuhi put his right fist over his heart and moaned. "Oh, Miss Higurashi, you're crushing me! How could you!"

Tenten cracked up and laughed at Yuuhi's expression. He looked all set to burst into tears, his eyes scrunched closed with lips twisted in a grimace.

"Tenten, how can you sneer at such a touching proposal!" Lee wailed, his eyes tearing up. "Apologize to him!"

Neji arrived then, his arms laden with a tray with their lunch. He banged down the tray, making the dishes clatter in discontent and the water from the glasses, including the miso soup he ordered, to spill a little. Tenten put down the paper upside down to hide the contents. She quickly set the plates and arranged the spoons and forks on her side and Neji's and tossed the violets and orchids to the empty seat beside Lee's.

The table went quiet as Neji sat down slowly. He interlocked his fingers together and set his chin on them, his eyes staring straight to Yuuhi, whose head was slightly tilted to the left. Yuuhi was looking back from the corner of his eyes, his lips curved in a half-smile. Neji's jaw tautened, his violet eyes narrowing at Yuuhi whose smile went wider, which showed his teeth a little.

Tenten looked back and forth at the combatants who seemed ready to glare at each other to the death. She exhaled a little and raised her spoon and fork over her plate. "Aren't you two going to eat?"

"Good idea. Wait up for me. I'm going to bring my lunch—"

"No."

Yuuhi's chin upped a notch. "And why not?"

Neji unfolded his hands and clenched them to fists. He settled them on the sides of his plate. "You have some nerve barging in on us and badgering Tenten. Don't come back to this table again."

"Really? And who are you to stop me?"

If she does not stop this _now_, she's going to have a fight in her hands_._ "Kobayashi, just leave. And take this paper and your flowers."

Yuuhi's eyes snapped to Tenten's. His own jaw tautened. "Fine, I'll leave. But the paper and the flowers are yours. I'll be coming by your dorm at five."

As soon as Yuuhi was some meters away from them, Neji turned to Tenten with his eyebrows lowered and lips thinned. "Why is he going to your dorm?"

"Tenten just had a 'Cafeteria Proposal'." Lee answered, slowly munching his sandwich.

"Hn!" Neji picked up his spoon and started to scoop some miso broth.

"And what is your answer?"

Tenten opted not to look at Neji. "Well, I might consider him. Ten points each for originality and creativity and, not to mention, confidence."

Neji's rice-filled spoon stopped its progress to his mouth. "You're actually _considering_—!"

Tenten ignored Neji and continued eating.

Smiling, Lee spoke up. "Good for you, Tenten-chan!" To Neji, he said, "Chill, Neji. Now all we have to worry about is finding a girlfriend for you!"

Neji almost choked on his soup. Sputtering, he tried to reach for a glass of water by Tenten's side. "Worry? Lee, if you're behind this—"

Snorting, Tenten slid Neji's glass of water closer to his reach. _Lee_ helping _Neji have a girlfriend?_ Tenten could not hold in her gurgle of chuckles at the mental image Lee's words brought. "So says the one who does not have a girlfriend yet."

Lee grinned. "My time will come. Maybe when Sakura finally agrees to go out with me."

Tenten sighed. When would Lee realize that Sakura only sees him as a friend? "Lee." When the young man in question turned his attention to Tenten, "You and I are going to talk about something after class by three. Meet me outside my classroom."

"All right. I guess I could use a day off from the track."

"You forgot we have a meeting in the judo club."

Tenten turned to look at Neji. "You also forgot that Lee and I are _de facto_ members with Shikamaru since we have clubs other than judo."

Neji's hand tightened around his spoon.

///// \\\\\

_4.20 pm, Judo Club_

"Neji, what is the matter with you? You're hnning more than usual."

"Go annoy someone else today, Naruto." Neji firther dug in his chin on his left palm. They have just finished the meeting for the tryouts next week but he hung about the club, reluctant to go home. The other boys had the same idea, lounging on their chairs. Kiba was on the floor playing with a ping pong ball and a racket, tsking every time he misses the ball as it bounced on the racket then up into the air. Shikamaru was having a chess match with Shino while Chouji was munching a cupcake, watching every move and marking something on a notebook. Sasuke was reading a textbook, muttering to himself once in a while. Bored, Naruto decided to go for Neji, who seems to be in one of his moods today. Naruto sighed from a corner of his lips. Whoever said that men do not have moods evidently didn't meet someone like the Hyuuga. "Where are the girls anyway? It would have been more fun here with them than talking to the stone wall in front of me."

"Ino has to go home early. Inoichi-san wants her to be in charge of the flower shop today." Chouji answered.

Kiba hit the ping pong too high until he had to chase it around the room. "Hinata went home. She had to go to the airport by five to meet her father."

"Man, Sakura said that she has to go with Hinata-chan today to pick up her things from the sleepover yesterday." Naruto smiled, his lips curving up in a wolfish way. "Hey, Neji, what did they wear last night?"

Neji did not answer and just threw a look at Naruto from the corner of his eyes.

"What? You didn't even _see_ them in their nightclothes? Gosh, Neji, you're hopeless." Naruto thumped Neji on the back. "We need to watch more R-rated movies. Maybe an X-one if you let me have your car for the rest of this afternoon."

Neji straightened on his seat and clenched a fist. Kiba laughed and did not heed the bouncing ping pong that rolled under the table. Shikamaru faltered on making his next move and almost landed his knight on a troublesome situation with Shino's queen. Sasuke looked up from his book and assessed the situation. "Dobe, shut your mouth. You're so noisy."

"But Teme, Neji needs a—"

Sasuke threw his book at Naruto who caught it before it smacked against his nose. This provoked Naruto to chuck the book back and a catching match started between the two of them.

"Fine. You can have the car."

Everyone stilled. Sasuke's forehead was grazed by a corner of the book before he caught it while Chouji stopped chewing. Kiba stopped laughing and the two chess players looked askance at Neji who had his car keys on hand, the panda keychain swaying, clinking-clanking against the keys.

"Are you sick, Neji? You would really give me your precious Toyota Prius?" Naruto looked about to jump for joy as if Ichiraku Ramen, his favorite ramen stand, would be having an eat-all-you-can for the whole week.

"Tch. Of course not. You have to return my car _without_ any damage, no scratches, else—" Neji chopped his hand towards Naruto's neck.

Grinning with his arms over his head, Naruto turned about face to Sasuke who was looking at Neji with his eyes narrowed. His musing was interrupted when Naruto hit him on a shoulder. "Yes! Teme, this is the chance to show you my driving skills I learned from Ero-Sennin, my godfather! Let's race with your Celica!"

"No racing!" Neji stood up as if electrified.

Sasuke frowned at Naruto and crossed his arms. "You know I'm not allowed to drive for the rest of the year. I can't go with you anyway. I have to be home before eight."

"Oh." Naruto put down his arms to his sides. He pouted and scrunched his eyes to a narrow. "I know!" In a conspiratorial whisper, Naruto pulled Sasuke's ear closer to his mouth and ignored the teme's yelp. "I'll let you drive. The parents do not have to know and we can see Sakura."

"Let's just go for a ride." Sasuke smirked. He and Naruto shook their hands on it.

"Neji, how about me? I want to go too!" Kiba went out from the table with ping pong in hand. He looked up at Neji who shook his head.

"No dogs."

"Neji!"

"End of discussion."

"I hate you." Kiba dribbled the ping pong against the floor and the racket.

Neji picked up his knapsack from his chair. As he was about to pull it up his shoulders, he stopped and handed the bag with the keys to Naruto. "Put this in my car. You can have it until eight."

"_Thank you, _Neji!" Naruto took the bags and keys. He gave the knapsack to Sasuke and put the keys in his own pocket. "Let's go, Teme!" He skipped across the room and hit the air with his fist as he, Sasuke and Neji went out of the club together.

Shikamaru raised one of his remaining pawns. "Methinks that Neji is plotting something."

Shino grunted and shrugged. Chouji just raised his brows and took out another cupcake from his bag.

///// \\\\\

_4.30 pm, Dorm Room 5._

Tenten moved to lie on her stomach in her bed as she thought back on her conversation with Lee in the botanical garden in Konoha High. They sat in one of the stone tables and listened as one of the birds chirped on a branch of a Salix babilonica beside the table.

"_I just wanted you to have a boyfriend! You could have had one if you accepted that boy in our sophomore year."_

"_Lee, I don't want a boyfriend; it's too much work. Maybe when I'm in college or something."_

"_But Tennie, I like Yuuhi for you. He's fun to be around and you'll have more time for socializing."_

"_I have no intention of having Yuuhi as a boyfriend. He's too loud."_

"_That's it? He's too loud? I'm loud and you can handle me."_

_Tenten laughed at that. "Only some of the time."_

_Lee drank from his water bottle. "What exactly are your standards in having a boyfriend?"_

"_I want someone who is smart and intelligent. A doer rather than a talker. Someone serious, I guess." _

"_And whose name is Hyuuga Neji?"_

_Tenten blushed. "How did you find out?"_

"_I had my suspicions." Lee looked straight at her. "You're not sure whether he would see you that way. You're opening yourself to a potential heartbreak, Ten-chan."_

"_Tell me something I don't know, Lee." Tenten danced her fingers on the graffiti on the stone table. "You know, I'm planning to confess to him after graduation and gauge his reaction. Whatever the result, I'll deal with it."_

"_So, no real hope for Yuuhi, then?"  
_

"_Yuuhi is not in the running at all. But he does have his uses." Tenten smiled self-deprecatingly as she traced a heart between two names. She looked at Lee who was biting his lower lip in thought. "He makes Neji a little jealous. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong and Neji's just bugged about Yuuhi but it feels like_—"

Tenten's recollection was interrupted by a series of hard knocks on the door. "Ten, open up!" As she opened the door, Sakura burst into the room, her arms laden with bags. "Hey! You won't believe what I've been hearing from Ino today, Tennie!"

Tenten took some of Sakura's burden. She sat down on the floor and started taking out some of the contents of the bags she left in Hinata's room to put them back into the cabinet. "I think I know."

"What? Did Yuuhi-sempai really propose to you in the cafeteria and you said yes?" Sakura sat on her haunches and clapped her hands against Tenten's arms, shaking her from behind. "Tenten, you do not know how much I'm disappointed!"

"I did not say yes! In fact, I refused him."

"What? That lying pig. I almost fell for that."

"For goodness' sake, Sak. My forehead almost grazed against the wood. Have a care, will you?"

"Bad-tempered today, are we? What really happened anyway?" Sakura took out her notes and books but put them down as Tenten related the story of the 'Cafeteria Proposal', as Lee nicely put it.

"Ha, ha, ha! Can I see the resume? Where are the flowers?"

"The paper is on the table, the flowers were already taken. Sorry, I gave them to the dorm mother."

"Ah, those flowers in the hall—they're beautiful, Ten. So, even if the guy is a bit annoying, he has good taste in flowers." Sakura laughed as she read the resume. "Well, this is a nice sense of humor. Look…"

Tenten's phone rang.

"Ten-chan, is that yours?" Standing by the table, Sakura picked up Tenten's cellphone and passed it to her.

"Hi, Neji. What? Naruto pinched your keys? Oh, goody. Your bag is in the car. Ha! I wonder how that happened. You actually brought out your keys and left them lying on the sink in the club's toilet?"

Sakura stopped giggling at the paper and stared at Tenten pacing.

"I don't believe this! You're not usually that careless." Tenten sat down on her hand and slapped her right hand against her forehead. "No Neji, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just that it's not like you to forget your keys."

"Fine, fine. Nobody's perfect. Much you know." Tenten laughed. "This is Naruto's greatest prank yet. Did you try calling Sasuke? He cannot be reached? Let me get Sakura to—"

Tenten looked over to Sakura who shook her head rather quickly.

"No? How about Naruto? He's not picking up?" Tenten lied down. "You want me to come home with you? Wait, wait, wait. Why? You can just borrow my notes and books." Just then, Tenten groaned. "Oh no, you can't take them. I have not done my homework yet and it's—"

Tenten glanced at her wristwatch and winced. "Oh no! I forgot! Yuuhi is coming over and he said—Neji, would you let me finish? Don't snap at me. I have half a mind to refuse going—" Tenten sat up slowly and smiled. "Surprise? What kind?" Tenten tapped her legs against the side of the bed. Sakura watched and listened in fascination, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "Ah Neji! Tell!"

"Hmp. All right then. Just wake me up if I oversleep again. Pick me up, will you? Bye."

Tenten looked over to Sakura who had sat down on her bed, with fists clenched. "Naruto's gone mad. Neji's going to kill him in sparring tomorrow. That idiot!"

"No, Neji wouldn't do that. I would attend tomorrow and he would not get the chance to beat Naruto up, promise." As she started to take out some of the things she would take with Neji, she turned back to Sakura.

"Sak, can I ask a favor?"

* * *


End file.
